Tsikbal: from my perspective

I've been using Firefox 29 for a couple of weeks now, I really have enjoyed it. The new Australis interface it's one of the features I like the most, mostly because I like the level of customization that gives me. Even though it looks like Google's Chrome, I feel like anyone can tell them apart quite easily. The similarities are only skin deep, and there are many differences on the implementation of several features that clearly differentiate both browsers. The one that strikes me the most, is how much control you have on what controls you can have, and how many of them you can select the ones you actually use the most for easy access. Another thing like I like personally, is how the StumbleUpon  tool bar is implemented and the fact that now you can hide easily using an icon integrated to the right of the search box. Most importantly, for me, is that tool bar is the same I love from previous versions of Firefox. When I compare it to how's implemented on Chrome,...

When a computer using an open source OS like Chromebooks can be considered a great Mother's day gift, it underscores how far open source software has come on usability for new nontechnical users. I don't mean that that there aren't any mothers out there that have advanced technical skills, but when you can consider giving a Chromebook to anyone at any skill level it speaks well on how easy to use some user interfaces are on the open source arena. Chromebooks can be the first step to show mainstream users how easy to user GNU/Linux distros can be, and help to bring more people to our side of the field. Chromebooks can be that missing link that has eluded GNU/Linux to become ubiquitous, and finally take the crown from Microsoft Windows. As such, it would be of great help to the GNU/Linux community at large, specially if Google plays fair and shares the changes it upstream improve the OS. Not only that, by making aware of how easy to use and good GNU/Linux based ...

The idea that AMD is moving away from using Intel's x86 got me thinking about what needs have people at the consumer level. Even though we won't see the new architecture at least until 2016 , the idea of having such processor on you average laptop, tablet or desktop isn't that bad. I mean, the K12 processor will be 64 bit compatible is good news. If it gets low power consumption and a good performance, it might be an option for people that don't need high computing power. I can see myself using a something like an ultrabook powered by this kind of processor, since I don't need that much power to begin with. Besides, I like to bring my laptop with me and I can't really on finding an outlet to connect to easily all the time. So, if AMD can offer a processor based on ARM that give me the right mix of performance and long battery life I'm sold. It would make my life all that easier, and I can think of many more people who would like the idea as much as...

What makes technology useful to people, is when it actually does well helping people to complete their work, learn new things, connect with others or really enjoy their spare time without getting in the way. The moment any piece of technology gets in they way, it fails at the job it was given to do. All technology should be seamlessly integrate into the activity it was design to be used in, and not take more attention from the user that it's necessary to use effectively. At the core of whatever we are doing, should always be the activity itself and not the tools around it. Also, let's get rid of the idea that we need a single do it all device or hundreds of devices for each of our activities. Each person should be able to have as many devices as he, or she, wants to have. True, some activities can use a single device while others might need a dedicated device. The important thing, is that the devices used should always be designed with the user in mind. With every ...

Now and then, I've meet people who said that one or another OS is uncrushable. They seem to believe that just because they haven't crashed their system at some point in time, it means that no one will ever be able to do so. This belief seems to be most spread on people using an Apple's OS. Any OS can crash, but some are more stable and robust than other. By this I mean, than some operating systems are harder to crash because they are more resilient because of the way they where designed. In essence, under what operating load an OS will crash is determined by the design parameters. If an OS is well designed, and used as intended, crashes shouldn't happen under normal circumstances. The only OS that crashed on me on regular basis has been Windows Vista, which seem to crash for no particular reason. Windows 95, 7 and XP did crash on me on from time to time. Yet, those times where when I did put to much strain on the system resources until the system just gave up. ...

As I have been digging more into the system we use at work to manage inventory, the more I come to realize how far behind we are in being able to use to use it to help the people at the floor to be more efficient. Even though we are set to use it along with other tools to have a better control over the inventory, and to help the people who are filling the orders not to lose time finding the items they need. Not only that, it would help to have a better flow of information among all the areas. As things are, there is a lot of lag on how the information flows. That lag really hurts us since not all the areas are at the same page at the same time, with all the misunderstandings and confusion that in brings. The most important thing, is that the table is set in other to have the information flowing in a timely manner to the people who need it. Most importantly, the data bases needed to work with are already there. Now, what is needed is to use them to create information that i...

It irks me when I hear the term hacker in mostly negative ways, then a hacker does something like this and it remains me of the original sense of hacking. On the original days of computers, hackers came together to try to come with new ways to use what they had. Most hackers continue to do this, sometimes doing things that could be at least be called dubious just to prove it can be done. The Xbox One gamepad is one example of a hacker coming with an use that some gamers wanted, but that Microsoft wasn't giving to them. For me, that's an area where open source can be of help to hackers and hackers can give to open source. In many ways, if you allow hackers to adapt software and hardware openly to other uses and to let them contribute their hacks back to the community is one of the best ways to make open source projects better faster. And by having those hacks occurring openly, the risk of having any malicious side of it coming out of it to a minimum. As with anythi...

As I was watching Cosmos last night, somehow I realized how similar the scientific and FLOSS communities are in many respects. Both communities do they strive on individuals working together, in an open way that promotes sharing information and testing ideas before they become accepted as facts. People test each others ideas, and put them to work when they prove their value. Even though most of the time they work in parallel to each other, they do have points where each other interact. Where one provides with tools, or ideas, that allows the other work toward their objectives a lot more efficiently. Though FLOSS owes its existence to the science, since without the discoveries made by the scientific communities the FLOSS community wouldn't have much to work on, FLOSS does pay back that debt by giving back tool that allow science to move forward. Both help each other grow and move forward, it could be said that both communities live in a symbiotic relationship. What...

Going through the comments of a post on Google + today, I came to realize that the GNU/Linux community doesn't actually needs a perfect distro. There is a need that available distros work the best they can for the purpose they where made. Each and every distro will have it's inherent strengths and weaknesses, and there is nothing bad or wrong with it. The main thing, is that they do what their users need from them. The fact that GNU/Linux has the flexibility to be used to make the vast array of distros, from general purpose to specific use, speaks volumes of how good it is for developers and users alike. It gives both the ability to create distros that carter specific needs, tastes and work flows all built on a common base. In some sense, the perfect distro depends on the specific needs of each user. What's the intended use for the distro will dictate what it needs to work, and how it should do things. It's a mistake to try to have one distro to do all, spe...

The more I think about it, the more I realize that tablets aren't for me. If I aren't at home, where using a laptop is way more convenient for me, I'm more likely to be at my favorite coffee shop or bar where using my smartphone to check in or send a quick text is way more practical. At home, I'm either surfing the web, editing my blogs, chatting or on a video call. For me, it's a lot more practical to use my laptop, which has the added bonus that I can take to my favorite coffee shop or my best friend house to either do some work or just geek out. I simply can't see myself using a tablet to do any of this, I just find it to be rather uncomfortable and they still can't do the kind of multitasking I do. When I go out, I prefer to take a smartphone with me. It allows me to quickly check in on Foursquare, take a quick photo or note, and to listen to my music on the go. Not only that, it also helps me to keep me in touch with texts, Whatsapp or a quick ...

At work, we use SAP to manage our most of our key aspects of our daily operations. It has made evident the weaknesses of using proprietary software, and how frustrating they can be. Two of weaknesses are the most evident, and the ones that impact us the most. The first one, is the fact that when a fix is needed on the inner working of the software there is no way it can be done within the organization itself. We need to go the people who provide us with the licences so that they fix the problem. This means that it takes longer to solve the problem, and at times there have been some misunderstandings since the one who made the fix wasn't the one who received the information about it on first place. In our case, we have people who are more than capable to fix any of the problems we have been facing. Yet, they have their hands tied because they can't do it because they don't have the access needed to make it so. The other problem, is that we are in a position wher...